Hvem daterede Mathilde Kschessinska?

Mathilde-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinska (31 August [O.S. 19 August] 1872 – 6 December 1971), also known as Princess Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya upon her marriage, was a Polish-Russian ballerina from the noble Krzesiński family. Her father, Felix Kschessinsky, and her brother and sister danced in Saint Petersburg. She was a mistress of the future Emperor Nicholas II of Russia before his marriage, and later the wife of his cousin Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia. She was known in the West as Mathilde Kschessinska or Matilda Kshesinskaya.

Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Серге́й Миха́йлович; 7 October 1869 – 18 July 1918) was the fifth son and sixth child of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaievich of Russia and a first cousin of Alexander III of Russia.

He was born and raised in the Caucasus, where his father was viceroy. In 1881 the family moved to Saint Petersburg. He became a close friend of the then Tsarevich Nicholas. They grew apart upon Nicholas II's marriage and accession to the throne. Grand Duke Sergei remained a bachelor living at his father's palace in the imperial capital. He had a long affair with the famous ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska, who had previously been the mistress of Nicholas II. She was also later involved with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich. Sergei recognized Mathilde's son as his own and remained their protector until his death.

Following family tradition, Grand Duke Sergei pursued a military career. He served as General Inspector of the Artillery with the rank of Adjutant General. During World War I he was chief of the artillery department, a position he was forced to resign amid controversy. He was then appointed Field Inspector General of Artillery at Stavka. After the fall of the monarchy, he remained in the former Imperial capital keeping a low profile. With the ascension of the Bolsheviks to power, he was sent to internal Russian exile.

He was murdered by the Bolsheviks along with several other Romanov relatives and his personal secretary at Alapayevsk on 18 July 1918, one day after the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his immediate family at Yekaterinburg.

Nikolaj 2. (født 18. maj (jul.: 6. maj) 1868, død 17. juli 1918) var Ruslands sidste kejser fra 1894 til 1917. Han var søn af kejser Alexander 3. og den dansk-fødte kejserinde Maria Fjodorovna (på dansk kaldet kejserinde Dagmar).

Nikolaj 2. var stærkt religiøs. Han havde fra begyndelsen en vis opbakning fra folket men syntes forfulgt af uheld. Det begyndte ved kroningsceremonien, hvor han tabte en kæde, der symboliserede det russiske kejserrige. Ved folkefesten bagefter opstod der panik som følge af dårlig planlægning, og et par tusind blev trampet ihjel. Folkets velvilje for den nye kejser svandt, da han samme aften deltog i bal i den franske ambassade.

Nikolaj 2. blev gift med den tyske prinsesse Alix af Hessen og ved Rhinen. Parrets første fire børn var piger Olga, Tatjana, Maria og Anastasia. Det femte barn var sønnen Alexei, hvis status som tronfølger var truet af, at han led af en alvorlig blødersygdom. Nikolaj elskede sin kone, der var meget religiøs og optaget af mysticisme. Hun blev opfattet som dominerende og havde stor indflydelse på kejseren. Hun var meget optaget af helbredelsen af sønnen Alexei, hvilket bl.a. førte til, at hun søgte hjælp hos den kontroversielle munk Rasputin.

Familien levede som de forrige kejsere i umådelig pragt og rigdom, mens folket var fattigt. Regentparret var ikke demokrater og ignorerede alle trusler om revolution. Nederlaget i den russisk-japanske krig i 1905 førte til et oprør, "Den Blodige Søndag". Nikolaj lovede at oprette en folkevalgt forsamling, dumaen, men blot to måneder efter dumaens oprettelse, brød han sit løfte.

Rusland gik ind i første verdenskrig, og Nikolaj sendte soldater i kamp, mens landet var på sultegrænsen. Efter 2-3 års krig og nød udbrød Februarrevolutionen i 1917. Efter revolutionen tvang den provisoriske regerings Aleksandr Kerenskij kejseren til at abdicere den 15. marts. Kejseren og hans familie blev holdt i fangenskab i Tsarskoje Selo, Tobolsk, og efter bolsjevikkerne overtog magten ved Oktoberrevolutionen, i Jekaterinburg, blev kejseren henrettet sammen med sin familie den 17. juli 1918.